Pollster: "Come 2020, most political observers would be stunned if Scott Perry does not have a very formidable Democratic opponent."

Despite eking out a narrow, two-percentage-point win over a Democrat opponent in November's general election, Congressman Scott Perry is making a bid to become the next chair of the ultra-conservative Republican House Freedom Caucus, according to The Hill, a poltical news outlet.

The Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline Republicans, wielded fairly influential power over House business in recent years, but in January will enter a Democrat majority House.

Brandy Brown, Perry's communication director, said Wednesday, "At this time, I have no substantiated information (on the chairmanship.) Freedom Caucus members are working among themselves to come to a decision."

Perry's Pennsylvania seat was considered a key battleground for Republicans heading into the November election. Perry's victory came after he received public support from President Donald Trump in the final days of the campaign.

Perry's bid for the Freedom Caucus chair comes after redistricting narrowed the 10th District electorate to 44 percent Republican and 40 percent Democratic. Perry had won his previous elections by margins ranging from 25 to 49 percentage points.

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Scott Perry reacted after winning the 10th Congressional Tuesday, saying he and his team were "really invigorated."
Brandie Kessler, bkessler@ydr.com

G. Terry Madonna, a longtime pollster and political science professor at Franklin and Marshall College, told WITF that Perry seems like a logical choice to lead the caucus. But, Madonna said, "make no mistake about it, come 2020, most political observers would be stunned if Scott Perry does not have a very formidable Democratic opponent."

The Freedom Caucus began as a splinter group of the Republican Study Committee, when caucus members determined the committee was too moderate.

Former Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner told Politico, “They can’t tell you what they’re for. They can tell you everything they’re against. They’re anarchists. They want total chaos. Tear it all down and start over. That’s where their mindset is.”

Perry was among the Republicans -- and the only Pennsylvanian legislator -- calling for the impeachment of U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in an attempt to forestall Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 President election.

Much to Trump's displeasure, the caucus also was instrumental in the survival of the Affordable Care Act -- Obamacare -- by refusing to support the Republican replacement bill -- the American Health Care Act -- because it did now lower minimums enough.

Perry has drawn attention in the past for comments attributing Chesapeake Bay pollution to trees and arguing maternity care, including birth control, should not be mandated in insurance coverage because some people, like him and his wife, plan to have no more children.